Tennessee isn’t exactly a hockey hotbed. But ever since the Predators came to Nashville at the tail end of the 20th century, the city has embraced its team. The Predators didn’t qualify for the NHL’s post season until their sixth season, and ever since, they’ve given the home of country music a reason to sing. Since 2003-04, the team has only failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs three times.
Coming off a stunning season that was capped with the franchise’s first and only appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, the average asking price on the secondary market for post-season tickets is soaring. According to TicketIQ.com, the current average asking price for Predators playoff tickets for their series against the Colorado Avalanche is $381. That number represents a 31 percent increase over playoff tickets last year, and is the third most expensive in the NHL. The most expensive ticket is for Thursday’s Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs Game 1 ($652) and the second most expensive is for Wednesday’s Minnesota Wild at Winnipeg Jets Game 1 ($489).
The Preds lost in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in 2016-17.
Predators playoff tickets have seen a fairly steady climb over the last five years. In 2015, the average asking price for a playoff ticket was $223. It dipped to $179 in 2016 before jumping to $290 in 2017.
The Predators, winners of the Central Division, finished the regular season with the second-best record in the league – 53-18-11. Only the Tampa Bay Lightning (54-23-5) won more games. Both the Jets and Vegas Golden Knights won 52 games.
Nashville finished the season with back-to-back wins. The Preds and Avalanche have played each other 78 times, and Nashville holds a 42-31-5 advantage. The teams have never met in the playoffs before.
